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• were
  were

  verb

  a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.
• we're
  we're

  contraction of we are:

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Were appears in the word werewolf. What was the original meaning of this instance of were?

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were

¹ American  

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

verb

1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

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we're ² American  

[weer] / wɪər /

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

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were ¹ British  

/ wɜː, wə /

verb

1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

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we're ² British  

/ wɪə /

contraction

1. we are

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Grammar

See subjunctive.

Usage

See contraction.

Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English, is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses ( if he were to die, she would inherit everything ), suppositions contrary to fact ( if I were you, I would be careful ), and desire ( I wish he were there now ). In informal speech, however, was is often used instead

Etymology

Origin of were

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

were we're

The firm detailed numerous reputational risks about Moore that it said were known at the university.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

While AI is a shortcut, Vo said her network and credibility in the industry were key.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Shares of the company were up 1.2% in morning trading after the results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

When ready, the baskets were lifted out of the water by crane and placed on a barge alongside the Salvor, where researchers sifted through the contents by hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The protesters were met by a group of counterprotesters who are determined to make sure the Manor opens and welcomes as many people of color as possible.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

“That’s where our advantage is, and why we’re investing in this space.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Then again, we don’t have the full context of the excerpts, so it’s hard to know for sure what we’re looking at.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026

"It's not just about selling compute; it's the API services and the productivity services and I think there is a very, very large opportunity there and we're quite focused on that."

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

“It took so long because we’re in Watts,” she said, noting that the neighborhood has faced decades of disinvestment dating back to the 1965 Watts uprising.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

“We’re here, and we’re okay,” Arlo assures him.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold